Chapter 520: Intense Stimulation
Tang Guosheng coughed dryly. The old man then wore a wry smile and said, “Grandson, can we discuss something? I gave you that 50 billion in hope that you will use it to develop the Tang Family and to build up the force of our family. This action of yours... it’s kind of an extravagant squandering.”
Tang Xiu was slightly stunned as he gazed at Tang Guosheng with a strange expression, “Grandpa, are you sure that I was just extravagantly squandering money?”
“Isn’t it?” Asked Tang Guosheng back.
Tang Xiu spread his hands and said, “Since you think that I’m just squandering, please listen to what I’m gonna say until the end, would you? Anyhow, I had a private talk with Situ Boyang, the Head of the Situ Family, for a long time after the auction, from which I secured a business deal with him... No, it should three business deals. Take a look at these two text messages on my phone. They are notifications of two transfers that have just arrived into my account, each of which is 2.5 billion, for a total of 5 billion. Added to that, the Situ Family also promised to give me back the 3.1 billion that I spent.”
Tang Yunde quickly grabbed his mobile phone and read the text messages, and then immediately gaped with disbelief bursting from his eyes. Although he knew that his son was a man with ability, it was beyond his expectation that his precious son could get such a huge sum of money within just a night.
5 billion plus 3.1 billion, for a total of 8.1 billion!!
He... what kind of business deal did he make, exactly?
Surprised, Tang Guosheng’s expression was rather strange. After taking the mobile phone and seeing the two messages, he couldn’t help but be jitter despite his unusual status. He fell into silence for half a minute, before he returned the mobile phone to Tang Xiu and asked, “Xiu’er, I just can’t believe that a pie would just fall from the sky like that. Tell me, what did you transact with them, exactly?”
“They are people from the Occult Sect, while I happen to have an ability to produce talismans. Hence, they bought a total of 200 talismans from me,” said Tang Xiu.
Tang Guosheng’s eyes almost jumped out from its sockets. He pointed at Tang Xiu with disbelief and stutteringly asked, “Y-you... y-you’re actually able to manufacture talismans? How is this possible? How could someone still know the manufacturing methods for magical talismans in today’s age?”
“Grandpa, there’s no need for you to make a fuss about such a trivial thing, no? The things I can do are not only limited to manufacturing magical talismans, to be honest. It’s just that... I always hid my abilities and bided my time in order to avoid troublesome matters! That’s right, that’s how I can describe my situation.”
Tang Guosheng and Tang Yunde exchanged looks, as the father and son were dumbfounded and speechless upon hearing Tang Xiu’s explanation.
What was laying low and acting modestly despite possessing awesome abilities? This was it!
As if recalling something, Tang Xiu patted his own head and smilingly said, “Ah, that’s right. I also went to the Situ Family’s treasury vault and obtained a few good things there. Also, that golden dragon head is inside my car! Grandpa, do you want it?”
“Golden dragon head?” Tang Guosheng chuckled. “I don’t think I have a reason to refuse something obtained by my grandson, do I? Let’s go outside. I need to take a breather anyway. Let’s see what’s this golden dragon head.”
“I need to take a breather as well, Father. This boy... he simply makes people sit on a roller coaster and stimulate them to the extreme,” said Tang Yunde with a smile.
Quickly, the three generations came to the front yard. Tang Guosheng, who was in a good mood, came to the SUV and watched as Tang Xiu pulled the car’s door on. He stretched out his arms in a relaxed manner and didn’t hurry to look what was inside the car, and looked up instead. After taking a deep breath, he smilingly said, “The air is so great tonight. I’ve lived for so many years in Beijing, yet rarely have I seen so many stars in the sky!”
“True that! The smog has been a serious issue in this era of development due to environmental pollution. If this continues to go on, living in the capital will not be a choice; unless we humans can evolve and mutate in this bad environment,” said Tang Yunde smilingly.
“Hahaha...” Tang Guosheng laughed loudly and lowered his head to see what was inside the car. His laughter then came to an abrupt halt as the wrinkles on his old face began to solidify in an instant. He continued in this state for a few seconds, as he suddenly stepped forward and swiftly drilled himself into the car near the golden dragon head.
“What a great golden dragon head!”
The exclamation of praise didn’t come from Tang Guosheng, but Tang Yunde. His hand was on the door as he praised while looking at the golden dragon head next to his father.
“I don’t think it can be counted as good stuff, though. But this golden dragon head could be barely said as one of the coolest things inside the Situ Family’s treasury vault aside from the other two items I got,” said Tang Xiu with a smile. “So, what do you think, Grandpa? This golden dragon head is entirely cast from pure gold; I’ll leave it to you as a decoration if you like it.”
Tang Guosheng reluctantly turned his head. It was night, but with the light in the yard and the dim light in the car, it made his expression very discernable not only to Tang Xiu, but also Tang Yunde. He looked at Tang Xiu with his lips twitching. His voice was rough and hoarse as he asked, “Xiu’er, do you know that I had once served as a manager for the state’s secret vault in the past?”
“No, I never knew that,” said Tang Xiu, shaking his head.
“When I was in working there, I read all the confidential files archived, and one of them was about this golden dragon head. The data was handed down from the Great Tang Dynasty, and was an object that was well preserved and protected. However, this golden dragon head was in the list of lost national treasures in the State Cultural Relic’s database. So it’s very unexpected that this golden dragon head turned out to have been secretly collected by the Situ Family all this time,” explained Tang Guosheng.
“The ancestors of the Situ Family paid a colossal price to get this object, and since it has been in their possession for centuries, it was kind of their private property,” said Tang Xiu with a chuckle. “But since it’s now in my hands, it means it’s now my private property. Grandpa, I’ll give this thing to you!”
Tang Guosheng covered his chest, as he wryly smiled and shook his head with a sigh, “Originally, I came out of the room to take a breath and ease my nerves. Not only I did not calm down, I’m even more stimulated. Xiu’er, your ability is really... great. This golden dragon head is something you got, so it’s yours. I can’t accept it. I dare not accept it.”
“Why do you say that, Grandpa?” Asked Tang Xiu.
“This golden dragon head is indeed a great thing. But to our Tang Family, it is nothing but a dead object,” sighed Tang Guosheng. “If its existence were to be exposed, not only would it be of no benefit to us, it’s highly likely that it will bring us trouble. Those who are eyeing us in the shadows will use something like this as a pretext to justify an attack, thus pushing the Tang Family into a storm of public critic and slander.”
Tang Xiu fell into silence for a while, before he slowly nodded and said, “In that case, I’ll take it away! Besides, I’ve already bought an island in the Pacific Ocean, and after the reconstruction has been finished, I’ll bring this golden dragon head to the Nine Dragons Island and keep it in the castle there.”
Without a shred of hesitation, Tang Guosheng nodded and said, “That would be a good idea. Nevertheless, you must be sure to hide it well before you bring it out, lest others discover it.”
“My ability may not be sufficient for other matters, but no one in the world is good as me in hiding things,” said Tang Xiu with a smile. “Don’t worry! This golden dragon head will never be discovered by anyone, and not even half a word will be exposed to others.”
“All right!” Tang Guosheng nodded heavily, letting out a sigh after he got out of the car. “You said that you spent 3.1 billion in that auction. To be honest, I was regretting the decision of giving you that 50 billion, and was not sure whether my decision was careless or not. Who would have thought that not only did you took the 3.1 billion yuan back, you even made an extra 5 billion yuan from it? What’s more important is that you even got a treasure like the golden dragon head. That’s really great!”
“It’s just chancing upon opportunity, to be honest. I happened to have things that the Occult Sect were most in shortage of,” said Tang Xiu with a smile.
Tang Guosheng let out a faint smile. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he quickly asked, “Xiu’er, you just said that you obtained three items from the Situ Family’s treasury vault. Besides this golden dragon head, what else did you got?”
“They are some antiques. An ancient bronze lamp and a Guanyin vase,” said Tang Xiu with a smile.
“My knowledge about antiques is not that deep, though I know that the price of genuine good antiques is very expensive. So far I calculate that you got five great things today, and yet you still got an extra 5 billion yuan... Pretty worthy as the grandson of I, Tang Guosheng. Amazing!” Said Tang Guosheng with a nod.
“Grandpa, if you praise me so exaggeratedly again, I’m afraid I can’t stay here much longer,” said Tang Xiu.
“Capable is capable, okay? That’s not an exaggeration!” Tang Guosheng waved his hand and smiled.
Tang Yunde, who was standing at the side and listening to the conversation between his father and son, had an especially intense satisfaction filling his heart at this moment. This feeling of satisfaction was greater than what he felt during his meteoric rise in the army and after obtaining great military exploits in the past. He realized that the best thing he had ever done was finding himself a good wife and having a good son.
As of now, his body was getting better, and was almost restored to the condition of a normal person’s. He believed that as long as he persevered and relentlessly exercised, his constitution would slowly recuperate and even possibly regain its peak condition like in the past.
“Xiu’er, you also know what your mother thinks. She always thought that studying is the only way out in life. Her only wish is that you can enroll in a good university and obtain a good diploma certificate. Since you’re already studying at Shanghai University, then continue your studies well there; though you still can do what you must at work, regardless. Besides, learning while still young will give you better results in the future,” said Tang Yunde with a smile as he patted Tang Xiu’s shoulder.
“Rest assured, Dad! I’ll always bear it in mind,” said Tang Xiu with a smile.
“Thta’s good,” said Tang Xiu as he smiled. “Anyways, I heard you have been in a close relationship with many girls recently! Whether you choose to have some fun or have a steady relationship, your mom is still very young and can help you bring up your children.”
Cough, cough...